Grey Cup 2018 Betting Strategy: CFL Quarterbacks To Bet On

Championship-calibre QBs aren’t hard to find in the Canadian Football League. But which CFL pivot will be the one to lead his team to Grey Cup glory in 2018? Mike Reilly or the Edmonton Eskimos and Bo Levi Mitchell are just two of the league top gun-slingers. But with the regular season underway, we break down some of the best to back this season in our Grey Cup Betting Strategy.

Mike Reilly or Bo Levi Mitchell?

The question of who the Canadian Football League’s top quarterback will be in 2018 remains a hot topic as the regular season gets underway on June 14.

Edmonton Eskimos quarterback Reilly and pivot Mitchell of the Calgary Stampeders have benefitted from playing in a pass-first league.

Both of these all-star signal callers are the face of the CFL and are likely to be at the top of the league in several offensive categories. Reilly was a force to be reckoned with in 2017, leading the league with 5,830 passing yards and 30 TD strikes. Reilly also topped the CFL in rushing touchdowns with 12 — making the Esks’ QB the most valuable player last season.

But if you had to choose one leading up to Thursday’s season-opener, which one of these quarterbacks would you put your money on to win the Grey Cup?

Of the nine starting quarterbacks heading into the Canadian Football League season, seven of them have expiring contracts at the end of the year.

That includes Reilly, who could be on the move from Edmonton following the 2018 campaign. However, can the now 33-year-old post in the same stats from a year ago? The Kennewick, Washington native seems to get better with age as his passing yards have progressed over the last two years.

Age hasn’t been an issue for quarterbacks in the Grey Cup over the last two seasons — Henry Burris (43) led the Ottawa Redblacks to the title in 2016 and Ricky Ray (38) accomplished the same feat with the Toronto Argonauts last season.

Many online sportsbooks, including Sports Interaction, have the Stamps as the odds-on favourites to win the Grey Cup in 2018 at +200, followed by the Eskimos at +425. Calgary was virtually unbeatable during the regular season a year ago — posting a remarkable 13-4 record while putting up 523 points for.

While the quarterback battle in the West will be narrowed down to two frontrunners, things will be much closer in the East Division with the defending Grey Cup champion Argonauts looking to win another championship.

Ray is pushing 40 years of age, but that hasn’t showed in his performances — certainly not during the 2017 campaign when the lumbering pivot amassed 5,546 passing yards to go along with 28 TD passes. Ray has the luxury of playing in a watered-down division, but that could change with the addition of former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel, whose troubled past cut his once-promising NFL career short. Manziel signed a contract with the Hamilton Tiger Cats in the off-season and is looking to lead the franchise to its first Grey Cup title in 19 years.

Small in stature packed with a ton of natural talent, Manziel could turn into the next Doug Flutie if he can adapt to the Canadian style and adjust to throwing a bigger football.

Johnny Football Specials

Sports Interaction has a few intriguing CFL specials for Johnny Football, including an over/under betting line on the total touchdown passes the Ticats QB will throw during the 2018 season. The line has been set at 22.5, with the over paying out at an enticing +105. Being that this will be Manziel’s first taste of Canadian football, it would make sense to stay away from the over on that special, but they don’t call him Johnny Football for nothing. Manziel looks like a new man looking to prove his critics wrong and perhaps use this opportunity to one day get back to the NFL stage.

If that doesn’t wet your beak, now might be the time to lay a wager down on Manziel winning the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player Award — paying out at +800 if you believe it possible. Put aside his short NFL stint for a second and look at what Manziel accomplished with Texas A&M. In his senior year, Manziel was 300-for-429 and tossed 37 touchdown passes. On top of that, Manziel has a remarkable QB rating of 172.9.

2018 Grey Cup Odds and Prediction

Mitchell, who has suffered through shoulder injuries over the last year, is “as healthy as can be right now.” That is not a good sign for the other teams in the West Division, all of which will have a difficult time containing the defending Grey Cup finalists.

The Ticats have emerged as the favourites out of the East at +550 following the addition of Manziel. However, look for the money to pour in on the defending champion Argos, who at the end of the day are still the team to beat. We could be in store for a rematch of last year’s Grey Cup final — only this time, it’ll be Mitchell’s time to shine.

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